478: The Rise Of The Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)

According to Microsoft, an incredible 97% of consumers will leave a brand based on a negative customer experience. Meanwhile, a recent study by Marketforce revealed that 66% of customers would switch mobile carriers to get better value for their price. Equally, 33% will change wireless carrier to get more flexible plans to fit their needs. Welcome to the digital world where the personalization of everything is the new currency. If a brand fails to listen to its customers or remove frustrating friction points from archaic processes, loyalty will be sacrificed with immediate effect.

A criminally overused phrase is disrupted or be disrupted. But, lowering costs and increasing flexibility is an approach that many young startups are using against sluggish retail giants. The modern-day equivalent of the David vs. Goliath tale is becoming all too familiar agility becomes the new weapon of choice.

Step forward Mint SIM, the sister brand of Ultra Mobile that is on a mission to democratize communication for all and has its sights set on disrupting traditional wireless models. Mint SIM’s business model focusses on low cost and flexibility to pay for what you need, and not what you don’t need.

We live in a world where digitally savvy and agile brands like Dollar Shave Club and Casper have completely disrupted traditional business models. We built Mint SIM on similar principles and hope to become the agent of change in the category. – Aron North, SVP of Marketing & Creative at Mint SIM.

As the communication space continues to evolve, there is an argument that unlimited talk and text plans are looking incredibly dated. The new currency in our mobile-first world is streaming services and messaging applications such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger.

Can you remember the last time that you were worried about running out of minutes on your phone? And Does anyone even send SMS messages anymore? In fact, the least interesting we do with our smartphones is make a phone call. But, data caps are one of the biggest frustrations in this increasingly digital world.

These are just a few reasons why data has become the new battleground for Mobile operators. If more users begin to question the relevance of long and expensive commitments to wireless carriers, Mint Sim might find themselves with a game changer on their hands.

An unlocked device and cheap sim deal won’t be for everyone, but in a digital age where dating apps like Tinder are king, does anyone need a two-year commitment to their mobile provider that lasts longer than many relationships? After hearing how mint sold a million GB data in its first year and 2 million GB of data only 6 months later, I invited Aron North from Mint Sim onto our tech podcast share the challenges and opportunities in the industry.